


Unusual Adventures at Vesuvia University

by thraxbaby



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-26 07:49:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13853280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thraxbaby/pseuds/thraxbaby
Summary: Ramona wasn't sure what to expect when going to college, but it wasn't this. Could solving a murder help unlock her missing past?





	1. Chapter 1

Ramona looked up at the intimidating building of Vesuvia University. She worked hard for this. Her best friend, Asra, walked up beside her, carrying one of her boxes. 

"Are you sure about this, Ramona?" Asra asked, giving her a concerned look. "If anything happens..." 

"Asra, I'll be fine. I've gone three years without a relapse. Besides, I can't rely on you forever." Ramona answered.

"I..." Asra still seemed unsure, but sighed and nodded. "You're right. I just... worry about you." Ramona understood his concern. Back in high school, she was in a terrible accident that put her in a coma. The doctors didn't think she'd ever wake up. But she did. However, she forgot everything. Asra took it upon himself to care for her, re-teach her everything. How to move, how to eat, how to read... The worst part of it all was that if she tried to remember anything from her past, she falls back into a coma. 

The first time it happened, Asra was scared to death. He sat at her bedside, not sleeping or eating until she woke up. He was so fragile with her after that. Her entire life became Asra and his constant attention. But it was time that Ramona branched out.

Studying became a way for Ramona to focus on not remembering her lost past and she took to it quickly. In the last three years, she worked her way up to a college level, surpassing what Asra could teach her, and now she was working on formally continuing her education. 

"Okay, it says here I'm in room 222." Ramona read from the packet she got from orientation. With arms piled with boxes, they searched for the right dorm room. Upon finding it, the door opened and a girl ran right into Ramona. Boxes and pomegranates flew everywhere. 

"I am so sorry!" Ramona scrambled to help the girl pick up her things. The girl waved her off. 

"It's fine. My name's Portia."

"Ramona." 

"You're in this room?" Portia asked. 

"Yeah. I guess we're roommates." Ramona said. 

"Oh my God, you're roommates." Asra muttered to himself with a chuckle as he helped Ramona pick up her things.

"Ignore him. He knows nothing but memes." Ramona said, picking up the last pomegranate and putting it back in the fruit bowl Portia had dropped. The two got their fallen things in order and stood up once more. Ramona and Asra dropped off the boxes on the empty bed in the dorm. Portia tossed a pomegranate to Ramona, then Asra.

"Thanks for the help, you two. I have some pomegranates to deliver, but I hope we can talk later. See ya, roomie!" Portia winked a pretty blue eye and walked out of the dorm. 

"She seems nice." Asra commented. He helped Ramona unpack her boxes, hanging her clothes on the closet and putting up pictures. When it was all done and the last box was empty, Asra turned to Ramona. He was hesitant to leave. 

"You have the money I gave you?" Asra asked. 

"Yep. It's in my wallet." Ramona answered.

"And your phone charger?"

"Yes, on the desk." 

"Text me every day, okay?" Asra said. "If I don't get a text from you, I'm driving over here and taking you back home."

"I can't stop living my life just because something bad might happen. You have to let go sometime, Mama Bird." Ramona smirked. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. 

"I'll miss you." She said. Asra wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her lightly. 

"I'll miss you, too. Here, take these." Asra pulled out a deck of cards. 

"Your tarot cards? But you never part with them." Ramona was shocked. 

"I have a feeling you might need them more than me." Asra said. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he shut his mouth and left. 

......

Ramona spent the day getting to know the school. The buildings encircled a beautiful garden, complete with a bubbling fountain. A cafe nearby sent whiffs of fresh coffee and muffins her way, drawing her in like every other sleep-starved college student.

Portia spotted her and waved her over. Ramona ordered a hot chocolate and sat with her new roommate and a woman Ramona didn't recognize. 

"Ramona, I want you to meet my friend, Nadia." Portia said, motioning to the other woman. "Nadia, this is my roommate, Ramona."

"Nice to meet you, Ramona." Nadia said, holding out her hand. Ramona shook the offered hand.

"Same." 

"So, Ramona, what is your major?" Nadia asked.

"I don't have one yet. I'm just taking basic classes. Maybe next year I'll focus on something, but..." Ramona shrugged and took a sip of her chocolate. "What about you?"

"Politics. And I'm taking a mechanical engineering class on the side." Nadia answered.

"Wow. What about you, Portia?" Ramona asked.

"Same as you: basic education." Portia answered. "What foreign language are you taking?"

"Spanish." Ramona answered. 

"Oh. I'm taking Russian. Though, I suppose that's cheating considering I already know it. I just wanted an easy class." 

"Russian is an easy class?" Ramona questioned. 

"My family is Russian. I've lived in Nevivon nearly my whole life. Then I moved to Vesuvia when I was in high school."

"What's Nevivon like?" Ramona asked. 

"Salty. Both the environment and the people."

Nadia was very likeable and the three girls were fast friends. They walked the grounds, finding where their classes were, checking out the enormous library, then ending the day in Nadia's dorm. She was lucky enough to have no roommate, so there was no one to complain about their giggles.

"So, Ramona... who was that cute boy with you earlier? I didn't catch his name." Portia questioned. 

"That was my friend, Asra." Ramona answered. 

"Friend? Not boyfriend?" Nadia teased. Ramona blushed.

"No! We're not... like that... He's my best friend!" Ramona sputtered. Nadia let out a very elegant laugh.

"Relax, I'm only teasing." She said.

"To tell the truth, there have been times where I thought about it. I mean, we live in a tiny one bedroom apartment and sleep in the same bed and see each other all day, every day... but... the thing is... he's all I have. If we didn't work out, it'd be awkward for the both of us." Ramona sighed. When he wasn't busy worrying over her, Asra could be very chill. The two of them just laying in bed, Asra's violet eyes soft and inviting, his lips curved into that smug smile... 

"That's understandable." Portia said. "But what did you mean by he's all you have? Don't you have any family?" Ramona shook her head. She told them about the accident and the coma and her missing past. 

"Wow. I never knew such a thing could happen." Nadia replied. 

"Yeah. But at least you had Asra." Portia added. Yes, Ramona couldn't even imagine what her life might have been like if Asra wasn't there for her.


	2. Chapter 2

Ramona stirred. Her bed felt empty. Was Asra up already? She didn't smell his tea brewing. In fact, it didn't smell like their apartment at all. 

"Ramona?" 

Ramona opened her eyes and found Portia. Right... She was in college, now. 

"Sorry if I woke you, but Nadia and I are going to the cafe for breakfast. Do you want to go, too, or do you want me to pick something up for you?" Portia asked. 

"I'll go. Just give me a minute." Ramona stretched and checked her phone. 

Asra: morning, sunshine!

Ramona rolled her eyes and smiled. She tapped out a response.

Ramona: Morning. I'm craving a breakfast burrito. What do?

Asra: Come home?

Ramona: No. Burritos can wait.

Asra: who r u and what did you do to the real Ramona?

Ramona giggled and put her phone down. It was only day one and she was feeling homesick already, but at the same time, she wanted this experience. Perhaps she'd go home over the weekend? Asra would love that. Ramona wiped the sleep from her eyes and got ready for the day.

 

"You are experienced in the arcana?" Nadia asked. Ramona had been rifling through Asra's cards during breakfast, ignoring her blueberry muffin. The action calmed her nerves. 

"Asra taught me, yeah. Why?" Ramona questioned. 

"I was wondering if you could help me with something? Could I get a reading?" Nadia answered. 

"Sure." Ramona focused on the cards, laying them out for Nadia. She let the cards speak to her.

"The magician. You have a plan and now is the time to let it play out." Ramona said. Nadia smiled.

"That's exactly what I needed to hear." Nadia said.

"What plan is that?" Portia asked. 

"The masquerade. I was going to ask the school they put it back on." Nadia said. 

"Oh." Portia said, understanding. Ramona, however, did not.

"The masquerade? What's that?" Ramona asked. 

"Vesuvia University was famous for their masquerade party every year. But a few years ago..." Portia glanced to Nadia, unsure if she should go on.

"You might as well say it. My fiance was murdered on the night of the masquerade." Nadia said. "He was already sick with a terminal illness. It was just cruel to end up dead by arson. AND on his birthday!" 

"Was the person ever caught?" Ramona asked. 

"There were suspects, but no evidence was found that could tie him to the murder. But I'm sure it was that Dr. Jules." Portia choked on her coffee. Nadia tried to help, but Portia just waved her off.

"Who's Dr. Jules?" Ramona asked. 

"He wasn't a real doctor. He was a student here, working on his doctorate in medicine. It wasn't a secret Jules and Lucio disliked each other. He was seen running from Lucio's room when the fire broke out. After the murder, Jules was taken in for questioning, but was released a day later. He hasn't been seen since. If that doesn't scream guilt, I don't know what does." Nadia glared out the window.

Ramona let all that information sink in. There was something familiar about it. Perhaps she heard it on the news? Though that had been happening around the time of her accident and the news was the last thing she cared about.

"Anyway, the school hasn't had the masquerade since his death and I feel it is time to bring it back." Nadia sipped at her coffee and returned to regular conversation.

........

It was a tough first week of classes. Asra had been pretty lax when it came to lessons. College was filled with a lot more work and actual deadlines. And despite having a paper due on Monday, Ramona took an Uber Friday afternoon, after her last class, across the city to the little apartment she called home. She intended to surprise Asra, but his car wasn't out front. He was probably on one of his trips. 

Ramona sighed. She should have texted him. Before she could even lock the door behind her, a voice cut through the darkness. 

"Where is the witch?" Ramona gasped and turned to just barely make out a form in the shadows, hilighted by the streetlight outside. Her instincts kicked in and she threw a punch. She caught his jaw and a smirk pulled at his lips. 

"You do have guts. Come on, then. Show me what else you got." He said. Ramona threw another punch, but he blocked her. She pulled back, slipped off her shoe and threw hard. It smacked him in the head and he dropped to the ground. Ramona hit the light switch and saw her intruder in proper light. 

He wore all black and had curly auburn hair that fell across one eye. The one eye that was visible was a steely gray and looked tired, almost bruised. And he was bleeding. 

"You drew blood... with a shoe?" He questioned, bringing his fingers up to his head. Why did he look so impressed? 

"You... I know you. Dr. Jules?" Ramona said. The man looked surprised. 

"Haven't heard that name in a while." He said. He stood up and absolutely towered over her. "I'm not here to hurt you. Just tell me: where is the witch?" He must be talking about Asra. He made money as a fortune teller. Their living room doubled as a makeshift magic shop. 

"I'm not talking." Ramona sneered, crossing her arms defiantly. She stared him down. He stared back, before his gaze dipped down. 

"I can see he's not here, and I'm not getting any answers from you. But let's not waste this visit. Tell my fortune." His... fortune? Ramona touched the cards in her pocket. Jules sat at their dining table, where Asra read the cards. Ramona breathed in the familiar scents of the apartment and joined him at the table. 

Usually, the cards spoke to her when she did a reading, but tonight her nerves were too frazzled to hear anything they might have to say. She tried anyways and drew his card.

"Death." 

"Death?" Jules barked out a bitter laugh. "Death cast her gaze on this wretch and turned away! She has no interest in an abomination like me." Wow. Drama much? Jules stood abruptly from the table and made his way to the door. Before he left, he paused and turned his head toward her.

"He'll come back for you. When he does, seek me out. He's far more dangerous than you know." Jules strode out of the apartment and left Ramona feeling out of sorts. She practically ran to the door and locked it. Knowing she would get no sleep tonight, Ramona busied herself in the kitchen and made herself a hot drink. She curled up with it on the couch, along with one of Asra's blankets and turned on some CSI.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never underestimate the power of la chancla!


	3. Chapter 3

Ramona got back to her dorm Saturday morning. Portia was out, so she had the room to herself... or so she thought. Something moved under her blankets. Ramona froze. She carefully stepped toward her bed, hoping it wasn't a rat. She reached for the covers and ripped them off to reveal...

"Faust!" The lilac snake smiled in her direction.

"Found you!" She slithered up Ramona's arm to coil around her shoulders. Faust was Asra's familiar. She was different from a mere pet in that she could "speak" to the two of them. Much like the cards, it was more like a voice in her head.

"What are you doing here? Is Asra here?" Ramona asked the snake. 

"No. Missed you." Faust nuzzled her face against Ramona's cheek. 

"I missed you, too, buddy. But I don't think we're allowed to have animals here." Ramona informed. 

"Sneaky." Faust replied. Ramona sighed. She supposed she could keep Faust until Asra could pick her up. 

"Fine. Just don't let my roommate see you." Ramona said. She put Faust down on the bed and grabbed her laptop. She needed to work on that paper. 

She entered the library and looked around. Most of the desks on the ground floor were taken, so Ramona walked up the stairs to find a place to work. In a corner, between some bookshelves, was an empty desk. Ramona sat down and set up her lap top. An hour passed and in that time, she only got one sentence written. Ramona began daydreaming and tracing the graffiti etched into the desk. 

There was the usual badly-drawn penises, a "Finn was here", initials, and an "A" inside a heart. Upon touching the last one, Ramona got a flash, almost like a memory, but not. 

_"Asra... I..." Jules was backed up against the bookcase, blushing furiously._

_"Shut up, Ilya."_

Ramona blinked and it was gone. That was Asra! And Jules! Were they... together? Asra never mentioned him. He never mentioned having any other friends but her. She tried again, focusing on the faint wisps of energy coming from the heart. She could see Jules... or was it Ilya?... sitting at this same desk, pouring over a large textbook. 

_He glanced out the window to the garden below. There, by the fountain, laid Asra. He was napping in the shade of a nearby willow tree. There was a strong sense of sadness and longing. He ran his long fingers through his hair and shut the textbook in frustration._

The vision intrigued Ramona. Jules intrigued her. Nadia was 110% sure he was the one to kill Lucio. Was he that kind of person? He seemed a bit intimidating when she faced him in her apartment, but at the same time, he didn't lay a finger on her. 

Having already given up on her paper for now, Ramona went down to the garden, where she saw Asra in the vision. Asra never mentioned ever going to college. How much more did she not know about him? 

Upon walking into the garden, Ramona sat at the edge of the fountain and looked into the water. It was quite a calming place to nap. She could see the appeal Asra might have seen in it.

Something on the base of the willow tree caught her eye. There were multiple names carved into it, but one in particular caught her eye. Hers. Surely it was a coincidence, right? She touched it, in hopes that it may unlock another memory, like in the library, but nothing happened. 

Ramona stood up and walked back towards the dorms. She needed to find out more. Before she could think up a plan, Nadia and Portia spotted her and waved her over to join them. Ramona smiled and walked over. Perhaps this mystery could wait...

...

"Read the cards for me again, Ramona." Nadia requested as the three girls once again spent a morning eating breakfast in the campus cafe. Ramona looked up and swallowed the massive bite of pumpkin bread in her mouth. She pulled out her cards and shuffled them. If she was going to keep doing this, she should start asking she be paid for it.

"The Emporer." Ramona said, showing the bull-headed card.

"And what does he say for me?"

"You have stability and power in your life. You are on top of things and everything is under your control. It is your hard work, discipline and self control that have bought you this far. You are in charge of your life now, setting up your own rules and boundaries." Nadia hummed and picked up the card, studying it as if she could get a deeper meaning from it. 

"Oh! Ramona, I wanted to show you something!" Portia exclaimed. She grabbed Ramona's hand and pulled her up from her seat. With her free hand, Ramona quickly snatched what was left of her pumpkin bread before she was led out the door of the cafe. 

Portia led her up to the roof of the dorm building. Up on the roof, surrounded by plywood and chicken wire, was an entire garden. 

"What is this?" Ramona asked. 

"My garden! I started it last year. I noticed a lot of students were surviving on nothing but cheap ramen, so me and a few other students made this garden. We grow the food and let the students take what they want. Whatever's left is donated to the cafe or the local homeless shelter." Portia explained. 

Ramona went through the makeshift door and walked among the plants. This was like a little oasis. She had some plants of her own back home, but this was several steps up from growing herbs in the tiny kitchen window. 

"So this is where those pomegranates came from?" Ramona asked. 

"Yeah. And we have tomatoes and squash and..." Portia showed her around until her phone pinged with a text. "Um... Nadia wants us to help her with something." The girls went down to meet Nadia in the lobby. There, she was waiting with two other freshmen. The freshmen were students Ramona recognized from her science class. 

"Ramona, I do hope you will forgive me for deceiving you, but I have found that the other upperclassmen can be incredibly cruel when it comes to initiation." Nadia said.

"Initiation?" Ramona looked to Portia, who looked a little guilty. 

"It's just something the upperclassmen do to 'welcome' the freshmen to the school." Portia explained. "Just... mess with them a little. But don't worry. Nadia did mine last year. Hers are harmless." 

Ramona glanced anxiously at the other two freshmen, dressed in animal costumes. 

"I don't have to dress like that, do I?" Ramona asked. 

"No. Actually, think of it as a test. I gave one of them something of yours. If your abilities are true, then you won't have any problems finding it." Nadia said. Something of hers? Abilities? What- oh. Oh, no. Ramona could feel the cards reaching out to her. The deck was missing something. Memories from breakfast came back to her. Nadia picked up the card, Portia pulled her away... and she never got the card back. 

Ramona felt like kicking herself. Asra always taught her to be careful, to always be aware of what was happening around her. How long have the cards been screaming at her to pay attention? 

"Now, these two are going to run. You need to catch the one you think is holding onto your card." Nadia said. "You two," Nadia turned to the other freshmen. "Run like your scholarship depends on it." The two students ran, one out the back door, towards the garden, and the other out the front. Ramona took a second to decide. She ran out the front door.


	4. Chapter 4

Ramona chased after the student dressed as a deer. He was fast. So fast, that she was barely able to catch a glimpse of him as he turned a corner. Eventually, she lost sight of him, but she knew she couldn't give up. If Asra knew she lost one of the cards... he'd never trust her again. 

Ramona took a breath to focus herself. She followed her feet, her intuition, in search of the missing card. Hours later, she realized maybe that wasn't a very good idea. She was in a sketchy area that she wasn't familiar with and the sun was starting to set. 

Ramona planned on just texting someone to pick her up, but her phone was dead. Left on her own, Ramona continued on. Just when the sun set and she felt she was so dead, music and voices brought her attention to a little house just off an alleyway. It sounded like a party. Perhaps someone had a phone she could borrow? Or at least a charger.

Ramona nervously stepped closer. A door flung open and someone walked out into the evening air. Ramona froze in her tracks. The lights from inside hilighted his form like a spotlight. Jules.

"Don't worry, I'm coming back. Just getting some air." He said to whoever was inside. He had been laughing and now was looking up at the few stars that could be seen in the sky. He ran a slender hand through his hair, his mind clearly on other things. 

Ramona took a few seconds to watch him. He seemed different from the man who had broken into her apartment. He was without the draping black coat and instead wore a white shirt that was mostly unbuttoned. He still hadn't noticed her, so Ramona creeped backwards, unsure if asking him for help was a good idea.

Fate had other plans as Ramona tripped on something squishy and fell backwards into a garbage can with a yelp. Jules noticed and ran to her rescue. 

"You okay? That was quite a tumble." He held out his hand. A nearby streetlight flickered on and illuminated her face. Jules froze in shock. "You? What are you doing here? Little early to be stumbling around in alleys, isn't it? I'm joking, it's never too early." He hoisted her out of the thankfully empty trash can. She staggered forward into his broad chest. He held on, straightening them both. Their eyes met, cheeks flushed, and they stepped apart. 

"Soooo... you, ah, what _are_ you doing here? These aren't exactly your neck of the woods, are they?" Jules asked. 

"Well, that's kind of a long story." Ramona admitted. 

"I have time. Do you want a drink?" Jules asked. Ramona didn't really drink, but something about this man made her bold.

"Sure." Ramona followed him inside. The party inside was wild. People were dancing, drinking, or playing a very intense card game. He found them a seat in a corner, away from the rowdiness of the rest of the room. 

"So, what would you like to drink?" Jules asked. Ramona hesitated. She had no idea how to answer. "You know what, I'll take care of it. You just make yourself comfortable." He walked to the kitchen to get their drinks. Ramona watched him interact with the party-goers. He laughed at a joke and looked not at all like the murderer Nadia believed him to be.

Jules returned to their corner and handed her a bottle. The label was in another language, but it smelled like fruit. Ramona glanced over at Jules, who was practically chugging his down. She snatched his drink from his hand and swapped it with hers. She chugged down the rest, surprising them both. Jules watched her with interest.

"Smart girl." He said, hiding a smirk behind a sip of his drink. "Never trust a free drink. You know, I never did get your name."

"Ramona." 

"Ahh, Ramona. Now that is a name. Such strength, such presence. Please, Ramona, call me Julian." He offered his hand and rather than a simple shake, he brought her hand to his lips. Ramona felt her cheeks heat up. 

"So, Ramona, what brings you here? You weren't looking for me, were you?" Julian teased.

"No, I was actually... well... it's part of my 'initiation'." Ramona answered. 

"Ah... Initiation. I remember initiation." Julian commented. 

"What happened for yours?" Ramona asked. Julian blushed.

"Ah... I was... erm... _distracted_ and then had to streak across campus back to my dorm." Ramona snorted a laugh. She tried to hide her laugh, but the mental image of Julian running from bush to bush, like a scene in a cartoon, caused her to erupt in giggles. 

"I'm sorry, I..." Ramona steadied her breath. "Sorry." Ramona bit her lip, keeping in any more giggles. He gave her a playful glare. 

"So what punishment have they put you through?" Julian questioned. 

"It's not as bad as... yours. My friend took one of my cards and told me to chase down the guy who had it. But he must have been there on a track scholarship because I lost him. I tried to follow my gut, but... it led me here." Ramona shrugged. "So much for my 'special abilities'." 

"Well, I don't doubt your special abilities, especially if they include that arm of yours. Perhaps this student is on his way here, thinking he lost you and out for a drink, when he sees you here waiting for him. Then he'll hand over your card, no problem." Julian said, taking another drink.

"Thanks. And sorry about the punch... and the shoe... but you did break into my apartment and acted like some Disney supervillain." Ramona looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. 

"I admit, I may have acted a bit... overdramatic... but if you knew Asra like I did..." Ramona wanted to ask him about their relationship and why he warned her about Asra, but fate once again intervened. 

"Cops!" Through the front window, blue and red lights could be seen flashing. The cry got everyone to scatter, out of every exit, including windows. 

"Come on!" Julian took Ramona's hand and led her out the back door. He led her up and down darkened alleys until they found a safe spot. 

"Do you have a place to go tonight?" Julian asked. 

"Well..." 

"Listen. Do you know Market Square?" He asked. Ramona nodded. "Go down this street, then take the first left, then right, then a sharp right and that street will take you straight to the square. From there, you can either walk to the university or your apartment. Got it?" Julian asked. 

"Left, right, right, Market Square." Ramona repeated. 

"Okay. Good luck, Ramona." Julian ran the opposite way. Ramona took only a second to watch him retreat before following his directions. 

Upon coming to Market Square - an odd name considering it was more of a circle than a square - Ramona turned a corner and tripped over someone's legs. Ramona started to apologize, then saw who it was. The student she was chasing! He looked shocked to see her. 

"How'd you find me?" He asked. 

"I... why are you out here?" Ramona asked. 

"I got lost." He answered. 

"Yeah, me too. But I found the way back. Come on." Ramona helped him up.

"Oh, here's your card back." He said, handing over the card. Ramona took it and put it with the rest in her bag. The cards seemed happy to be reunited. They hardly walked a minute before a sleek new car pulled up beside them. 

"There you are!" Portia said as she stuck her head out the window. "We were so worried! Get in, we'll stop and get you both something to eat!" Ramona and the other student climbed into the back seat and Nadia drove them all to a nearby diner for burgers.

"So where were you? We were looking everywhere for you." Portia said around a bite of burger. 

"Just... around." Ramona didn't want to admit she had been spending time with Julian. There were still questions she wanted answered. And knowing Nadia's hatred for him... Ramona kept it to herself.


	5. Chapter 5

Portia and Ramona stood by the copier and watched as each copy of the masquerade flyers slid from the machine to the growing pile. Nadia tasked them with announcing the return of the masquerade and putting up flyers all over the school. 

"Hey," Portia spoke up as they waited for the machine to finish its job. "When we're done with these flyers, want to go downtown and start looking for dresses?"

"Sure. But before we do, can we stop by my apartment first? I have some money saved up that I want to get." Ramona said. 

"Of course!" The machine stopped and each girl took half the stack of flyers. 

The flyers were plastered everywhere: in the cafe, the dorms, and in every classroom. Before they were even done, it was the talk of the school. Everyone was beyond excited about the masquerade. 

Ramona and Portia climbed into Nadia's car - said owner couldn't join them as she was incapacitated by one of her terrible migraines - and drove down to the apartment building. 

"I'll be right back." Ramona said as she scrambled out and jogged into the building. She pulled out her keys and unlocked the locks, but upon pushing the door open, someone intercepted her from inside. The door swung wide and Ramona almost fell through. She was caught in a familiar grip.

"Julian?"

"Ramona! Fancy seeing you here! I was just in the neighborhood... thought I'd check to see if you had gotten home all right... and it seems you have." Julian grinned, but Ramona could see right through him. She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her chest. 

"How do you keep getting in?" Ramona asked. Julian pulled out a key from his pocket and handed it to her. She blinked. 

"How the hell did you get a key to my apartment?" Ramona stared at the key in her hand. It perfectly matched up with the one on her keyring.

"Let's just say... I made a lot of house calls... after hours." He said with a salacious grin. Ramona gave a confused look before remembering the vision in the library. She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. They were fucking. In her bed. Gross.

"So why are you here now? What are you after?" Ramona's eyes flicked to the room behind him, trying to see if anything was out of place. 

"I hope you don't think I'm a thief. I'm a lot of things, but not that. In fact..." Julian removed his overcoat, then his jacket, leaving him in just his jeans and that opened white button up. He held up his hands in surrender. "...you can search me yourself. If you find anything of yours on me, I'll turn myself in." He grinned. His gray eye challenged her, piercing into her. Despite the blush clearly forming on her face, she lifted her chin and stepped forward. 

Julian's grin dropped and a blush took its place. He held still as her hands felt him up. She could feel his pulse thumping beneath her fingers. His skin was warm and smooth as she checked for anything that he might have taken. She found nothing but a ticklish spot over his ribs. 

Ramona felt lower, finding an odd shape in his pants. Ramona froze. She looked up into Julian's eye. He looked into hers. 

"Ignore that." He said, his blush now cherry red and spreading to his chest. Ramona slipped her hand into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. 

"But I am still happy to see you. I can show you if you want." Julian said, his grin back on his face. Ramona rolled her eyes and whacked his side lightly. She tried to look annoyed, but she couldn't keep the amused smile from cracking across her lips.

"I think I'll take a rain check." Ramona remarked. Julian took back his knife and put his jackets back on. She stepped past him into the apartment to resume what she originally planned to do. She ran into her room and emptied her money jar of its dollar bills and stuffed them in her wallet. She returned to the living room to find Julian had waited by the door.

Ramona felt tempted to ask him the questions flitting through her mind. What happened at the last masquerade? Did you really do it? 

"Hey, Ramona, can I use your bathroom-" Portia looked up and froze. Julian was frozen as well. They stared at each other in shock. Ramona had the words "I can explain" on her tongue, but she really couldn't. She was engaging in conversation with not just the man who had broken into her apartment twice, but the man who their mutual friend believes is a killer. Ramona really had no way to explain the situation. Thankfully, Portia spoke first.

"Ilya?" Tears formed in Portia's eyes.

"Pasha?" Ilya? Pasha? Did they know each other? Looking between the two, it finally struck Ramona. They were siblings!

Portia went from shocked to upset in less than a second. 

"What are you doing here?" Portia demanded.

"You look good, Pasha. You're all grown up." Julian looked sad. Clearly they hadn't seen each other in quite a while. 

"Ramona, will you excuse us?" Portia asked before grabbing Julian by the front of his jacket and pulling him out of sight. Ramona tidied up the living room while she waited.

When Portia returned, she was smiling like nothing had happened. 

"I'm just going to use your bathroom, then we'll be right off." Ramona nodded and pointed to the bathroom door. 

When they finally left, Ramona locked the apartment once again and they went looking for a dress shop. 

"Soooo..." Ramona said once the silence became unbearable. "Julian's your brother?" Portia sighed.

"Yes, he's my brother. But I haven't seen him in ten years." Portia answered. "He came here to work. Our... Our parents were sick and he wanted to become a doctor... to cure them, to help others. Eventually, it became evident they weren't going to get better. After they died, I moved here to find my brother, but by then, he had gotten in trouble for Lucio's murder and I had to keep my distance."

"Does Nadia know?" Ramona asked. 

"No. I haven't told her. In fact, I gave her my middle name as my last name. It feels wrong to lie to her. I mean, she's my best friend. But I'm afraid that if she knew..." Portia sighed. "I don't want to lose her."

Ramona nodded her understanding. 

"I saw you two talking. How do you know him?" Portia asked. Ramona told her everything, from the first break in, to meeting him at that party, to their meeting a few minutes ago. 

"That's Ilya for you. He's always been so... extra." Portia said.

"It must run in the family." Ramona quipped. 

"Me? Dramatic? Never!" Portia said in an exaggerated voice, making Ramona laugh. 

"Oh? And what about last week? _Ramona, I know I promised to study with you, but Finn from upstairs has a PS4 and is offering $20 to whoever can beat him in Super Smash Bros and I am the MASTER of that game!!!"_ Ramona teased. The girls laughed. Portia shrugged.

"I learned from the best."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finn belongs to WiseMage. They were nice enough to let me borrow him for this chapter.

Ramona was dreaming. She was following Asra through a desert. Copper sand blew this way and that, obscuring their path but for a few feet before them. Despite the storm, Asra walked straight and sure, as if he had taken this path before. Ramona wondered if she had walked this path before, as well. They came to a crossroads and Asra stopped. 

Where the paths split off to couldn't be seen, even without the storm raging. 

"Asra! Where are we?!" Ramona called out over the whistling wind. Asra glanced back, as if noticing her for the first time. 

"This place is dangerous, Ramona." Asra said, his voice magically cutting through the noise of the storm. "If you should ever find yourself here again, go down the left path and whatever you do, don't look back." Asra guided her towards the path to the left. She started walking down the path, but stopped. Something was wrong. She spared a glance back and saw Asra already far down the right path. No! He was going the wrong way! 

"Asra!" Ramona screamed over the wind. "Please, not again!" Before she could fully understand what she meant by 'not again', the world around her melted into a ruddy blur until she was opening her eyes in her dorm. 

Portia could be heard showering in their shared bathroom and Ramona could feel Faust wiggling around impatiently under her shirt. Ramona sighed. These dreams were getting weird. This was the second dream this week about following Asra through the strange desert. It was weird... Ramona didn't remember ever being outside Vesuvia, yet there was something familiar about that desert. 

"Morning, roomie!" Portia sang as she came out of the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. "Breakfast at the cafe as usual?" Ramona nodded and got up to get ready.

...

Nadia and Portia were very quickly becoming Ramona's best friends. And friends, apparently, went places together. This was something she never got with Asra. She always stayed home whenever Asra went on his trips. So, when Nadia invited her to a party she was hosting, Ramona couldn't help but be a little nervous. 

"Oh, don't worry. You'll be fine. It's just a few old friends. Portia will be there, as well. There will be food and drinks. Very chill." Nadia said. 

"I guess so." Ramona agreed.

"Great! Just wear something nice." Nadia smiled. 

When the day came for the get-together, Ramona and Portia climbed into Nadia's car and drove off towards the hills where Vesuvia's elite lived.

Nadia's house was ridiculously huge. It was a lavish mansion made of shining marble with meticulous landscaping. The driveway was gated by a heavy iron gate, and past that, went over a freaking moat! Ramona glanced out the window and could see pale wriggling creatures swimming in the water. 

There were already expensive-looking cars parked in the enormous garage. Nadia simply parked out front and walked up to the mansion. Ramona lagged behind, already intimidated by the luxury. She was just a girl living in a tiny one bedroom apartment. These people were used to money and finery. They'd see right through her.

Portia hooked her arm in Ramona's and gave her an encouraging squeeze.

"I know Nadia's friends can be intimidating, but you have to remember: they're just people." Portia said. They're just people. Right. Of course. They're just people. 

Nadia led them through the house, giving a quick tour along the way. 

"Your house is... huge!" Ramona commented.

"It was actually Lucio's." Nadia replied. 

"Yeah, I can tell." Ramona said, examining the fifth giant portrait of Lucio in this hallway alone. 

"Yes, Lucio was quite... eccentric." Nadia commented. "One might say he was a bit egotistical... and overly ambitious, but he knew how to make things interesting."

In one of the halls, two white dogs stared at them from their spot on some stairs. Having a soft spot for animals, Ramona smiled and offered her hand for them to sniff. They investigated her, circling her while sniffing. They accepted her head scratches, until Portia cried out. Ramona froze and the dogs tensed. Nadia and Portia stared. 

"Would you look at that." Portia commented, obviously stunned.

"Melchior and Mercedes don't usually take to strangers." Nadia said. "Lucio liked to keep them vicious. Most people nearly lose a finger if they get too close. However, you seem to have the magic touch." Ramona gave the dogs a friendly pat before following Nadia again.

Nadia led them through the near maze of halls until they reached what looked like a music room. There, six people were already gathered, sipping wine and talking among themselves.

"I see you already got into the wine. Couldn't wait for me to arrive?" Nadia commented. She poured herself a generous glass of wine, ignoring the weak excuse coming from her friends. 

"Everyone, this is my friend, Ramona. Ramona, this is Valerius, Volta, Vlastomil, Vulgora, and Valdemar." Nadia introduced them. Most of them seemed legitimately pleased to meet Ramona, except Valerius. He glowered at her over his wine glass.

Ramona observed these friends of Nadia's. They held themselves so stiffly, as if they were royalty rather than a bunch of college students, and to be honest, they dressed like they were 40. In fact, she was pretty sure one of them really was 40. Or 400. He looked like freaking Nosferatu.

"So, Ramona, where are you from?" One of them asked.

"Uh, Vesuvia." Ramona answered.

"No, I mean, where are you _from_? You don't look Vesuvian." 

"Oh, my God, Volta! You can't just ask people that!" Another said.

"What?! I'm just curious!" Volta defended. 

"Please excuse her, Ramona. Volta can't have a conversation without insulting someone." Nadia said, glaring at said friend.

"It's fine. But I'm afraid I don't have an answer." Ramona explained. "I had an accident a few years ago and can't remember any of my family, if I even have any." Ramona shrugged like it was no big deal, which it wasn't. Asra was all the family she needed. Ramona ignored the looks of pity and disgust and poured herself some wine.

"Well, Ramona, you're in luck. The people of Vesuvia are like one big family." Riiiiiiight. 

"Yes," Valerius added, gesturing with the hand that held his wine glass. "We welcome all with open arms." He swung his arms wide, dumping the contents of his glass across Ramona's top. A collective gasp could be heard. Ramona glared up at his smug face. Nadia stood, fuming.

"Valerius! I think you've had enough wine, don't you think?" Nadia glared, snatching the bottle out of his reach. "Portia, will you please show Ramona to my room and find her something to change into? I need to have a liitle talk with my 'dear friends'." 

"On it!" Portia led Ramona through the halls and up a grand staircase. 

"Sorry about Valerius. He can be kinda mean." Portia said as they made their way through the halls.

"Was your first meeting this bad?" Ramona asked, holding her top away from her skin.

"He didn't spill wine on me, but he did spill some on the floor, thought I was the help, and ordered me to clean up his mess." Portia recapped. 

"Why are rich people like that?" Ramona questioned. 

"Nadia's not like that." Portia reminded her. 

Portia and Ramona arrived in Nadia's room and started to go through her closet. Nadia was quite a bit taller than Ramona, not to mention curvier, but they eventually found something that fit - a cute floral summer dress.

"I forgot I had that dress." Nadia said as she joined the girls in her room. "My sister sent it to me for my last birthday, but it was a little too small for me. They always send the wrong size." Nadia frowned as she thought of the memories and the abandoned clothing in the very back of her closet. "But it looks lovely on you, dear. You can keep it if you like. I know I will never wear it."

"Thank you, Nadia!" 

...

Evening fell and the girls laid out on Nadia's bed. There had been more wine at dinner and Nadia suggested they sleep over, rather than go back to the school in the dark. Instead, they decided to treat Ramona to the deluxe sleepover experience upon hearing she never really had one before. They went the whole nine yards: doing each other's hair, make up, nails, looking at fashion magazines, dancing and singing to pop music, and now they were just lounging about, talking.

"So how many sisters do you have, Nadi?" Ramona asked. 

"Six. And all of them babied me relentlessly. The day I turned 18, I got the hell out of Prakra and moved in with Lucio. I am the first in seven generations to go to a school other than Prakra University. If you visit there, there are buildings named after us, trophy cases filled with my family members' achievements. But I didn't want to forever live in my sisters' shadows. When I got my acceptance letter for Vesuvia, three of my sisters wanted to disown me. It was the greatest moment of my life." Nadia smirked at the memory.

Their conversation tapered off and before too long, the girls were out cold. 

Ramona woke in the middle of the night, thirsty. She thought she remembered where the kitchen was and took her phone with her for light. She made it there alright, taking a cup and getting a drink, but on the way back, something felt different. Down the hall from Nadia's room, something white dashed around a corner. Curious, Ramona made her way towards it. Could it have been the dogs? 

Ramona turned the corner and saw the dogs waiting side by side in the dark - very Shining-esque. They trotted forward in unison and began tugging on her borrowed pajamas. A haze clouded her mind and she walked forward. She swore she heard a voice whispering in her ear, felt a sharp nail underneath her chin, leading her forward and up a dark stairway. A scorching hot breath breathed down her neck, urging her forward. 

"Ramona?" A voice broke through the haze and somewhat snapped her out of whatever trance she was in. In her phone's light, she found Portia looking concerned. 

"Are you okay?" Portia asked. "What are you doing here?" 

"Um..." She didn't quite know. She looked around, but the dogs were nowhere to be found. Had she imagined them? 

"Come on, let's get you back to bed." Portia took Ramona's hand and led her back to Nadia's room. 

...

Ramona was getting distracted. She had vowed to figure out this mystery of Lucio's death and so far, she had been doing nothing to look for clues, instead spending endless hours with her friends. 

She was back at his desk in the library, trying to will another memory from it. When that didn't work, she followed a few wisps of his signature to different books on the shelves.

One memory was him just pouring over a large textbook, taking notes. 

The next, he was talking with Asra, saying he was close to a cure. A cure? To what? Ramona had to find out. She was trying to figure out where she should go to figure this out when a student came up to her.

"Are you Ramona?" He asked. He was quite handsome, with black hair and gold eyes.

"Yes. Who are you?" Ramona asked.

"Name's Finn." he said, holding out a hand for her to shake. "I'm friends with Portia. You have a visitor waiting for you in the dorm lobby." 

"A visitor? Oh! It must be Asra. Thank you, Finn." Ramona smiled.

"No problem." 

Ramona entered the lobby to find Asra waiting for her, Faust around his shoulders.

"Asra!" She grinned, greeting him with a hug. 

"Ramona. How are you?" Asra asked.

"Good. I missed you." She said into his chest. 

"Do you have any plans for today?" Asra asked.

"No, why?" Ramona answered.

"I thought we could take a trip down to the beach? What do you think?" Asra asked. 

"Sounds good." 

They walked down to the beach, walking barefoot along the sand. All the while, Ramona thought of everything that had happened so far. 

"So I hear you made friends. That's good." Asra broke the silence. 

"Yeah. Portia and Nadia are great." Ramona replied. "Hey, Asra? Can I ask you something?" 

"Sure. What's up?" 

"What is Julian to you?" Asra's cool smile vanished. "You knew him, right?"

"Julian? Oh, I knew him, though by another name. We were friends... then something more... then something else... In the end, I just had to get away from him. Why do you ask?" Asra asked her, though by the way he looked at her, she felt he already knew.

"I... Well, that is...We... talked." Ramona thought back to the time she spent talking to him at that makeshift bar. 

"You should stay away from him." Asra said. _Funny, he said the same thing about you._ Ramona thought, but kept to herself. "Ilya... He will be whatever you want him to be until he gets what he wants, then he deems himself too damaged and he pulls away. He loves nothing but drama and his own suffering. He's just... not the kind of person you should be around."

Ramona stayed silent, simply listening to the waves lap at the shore. Julian... Had he lied to her? Which was the true Julian? The one who initially broke into her apartment? The one she shared a drink with? The killer Nadia claimed he was? Or perhaps the master manipulator as Asra said? Was she in danger? She needed to learn the truth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I need a new phone, so I need to post the chapters I already have written before I lose them forever.

Ramona groaned as she opened her eyes. Her back ached and part of her essay stuck to her face. She was at Julian's desk once more, simultaneously working on her English essay and searching for dirt on Julian. So far, both were a fruitless endeavor. She knew she couldn't juggle schoolwork, her social life, and this investigation, but they were all equally important to her.

Ramona packed up and headed out, needing a break. Vesuvia's canals all led to the beach, so Ramona followed them down to the shore. The beach had always been a great place to clear her head. Sure, the water wasn't the clearest and always looked rather gray, but there were the prettiest shells to be found in the sand and they made great windchimes for the apartment.

Ramona spent the afternoon combing the beach until the sun began to set. Then, she followed the canals back towards the university. Along the way, she noticed pale creatures writhing in the canal's water, same as in the moat at Nadia's. Ramona stared as more creatures swam from the silt as the day cooled. Why had she never noticed these creatures before?

"Ramona? Fancy seeing you here." Ramona gasped and turned towards the voice. Julian stepped from the shadows of an alley way. 

"Julian!" Julian stood by her side and watched the creatures in the water.

"Those are vampire eels. They're not particularly hostile, unless you splash about a lot. But once they latch on, they don't let go until they completely drain your body of blood." Julian explained. 

"How long have they been here? I don't recall ever noticing them." Ramona said.

"They mainly come out at night. They like the cooler waters of the south, where they originated. I believe they were brought here fifteen years ago. They may be out of their element here, but they seem to be thriving." 

Now, the sun had set and Ramona had thousands of burning questions to ask him, but wasn't sure if he'd even answer truthfully. 

"Julian, I-" A raven flew past them, cawing a warning. Julian tensed.

"Let's take this conversation elsewhere." Julian dashed towards the alley he had come from. Ramona, however, slipped on a loose stone and plunged backwards into the water. The freezing water bit at her skin and tensed her muscles. She almost didn't feel the bite to her side. Julian heard the splash and quickly pulled her out. 

Ramona emerged coughing and shivering. Her gaze fell to the eel attached to her side. She watched its transparent body fill with her blood.

"Hold still." Julian said. "On three. One... Two..." Julian grabbed the eel's head and tugged, detaching it from her side and tossing it back into the canal. "Three."

"That wasn't on three." Ramona complained. 

"Come on, we need to get out of here." he helped her up, but she was unsteady on her feet. She felt dizzy and now her shirt was stained red with blood. It dripped down her torso, into her skirt, even down her legs. Why was she bleeding so much? 

"Damn. You're bleeding too much. Lay down. I can fix it." He laid her down and pulled off the dark gloves he'd been wearing. He covered her wound with a cold hand and something amazing happened. Her eel bite tingled, red began to bloom beneath Julian's shirt, and a sigil started glowing at the base of Julian's throat. It looked familiar. 

"Recognize your witch's handiwork?" Julian questioned. "It was his parting gift to me. A curse. I can heal bodily injuries and in return, I experience them for myself." He groaned and swayed, catching himself. Ramona sat up, concerned at the blood now pouring from his abdomen. "Don't worry, it doesn't last." he added. "It never does. A curse from a witch that fears commitment. Then again, I've never been bit by a vampire eel. This might be interesting."

"Interesting how?" Ramona peeled away his jacket and looked at the puncture wounds oozing fresh blood.

"Fate seems to be inventing new ways to test the limits of this body." Julian answered. 

"Now that does sound interesting." Ramona commented. His dramatic words after his reading came to her mind. 

"It certainly can be." Julian heard them coming first. Police? Ramona heard the chirp of a walkie talkie. Julian pulled her into the narrow alley and used his black jacket to camouflage them in the darkness. The officers walked right past them, somehow not noticing the two of them. They were pressed close together and Ramona could see the pain on his face. He's watching the entrance of the alley until he feels her eyes on him. 

Close together, staring into each other's eyes... It was a mirror image of their meeting outside that party When he helped her out of that trash can. He opens his mouth to say something, but a sound outside the alleyway made him move. The cops were sure to notice the blood and they didn't want to be there when they did. 

They ran through alley after alley, avoiding police on patrol. Ramona hoped this wasn't becoming a habit. Coming up, Ramona noticed an old padlocked gate, covered in ivy. A garden! Ramona tugged his hand in that direction and he nodded, both of them scrambling over the gate. Ramona clumsily dropped into the dirt, Julian much lighter on his feet. They hid in the shadows as a police cruiser drove by. 

They backed away from the gate and went further into the overgrown garden. Catching their breath, and dusting themselves off, they took a minute to look around. It was clear this place was abandoned. Ivy covered every surface, and many plants reached up taller than the walls of the property. 

"This was a brilliant idea, Ramona. It seems you have a talent for discovering hidden beauty." Julian spoke. He turned to one of the stone statues covered in greenery. "Ah, look at this brute. Hello there, handsome." He wrapped an arm around the statue's shoulders, delight shining in his eyes. "Dangerous looking creature, isn't it?" 

"I like a little danger." Ramona said, stepping over roots to stand beside Julian. She examined the statue's face, though it almost seemed as if it were watching her. 

"Oh, you do, do you?" Julian grinned her way.

"Of course. I laugh in the face of danger! Ha ha ha!" Ramona grinned back. Julian chuckled. 

"Wonderful Lion King reference, my dear. And I shouldn't be surprised. It seems you are full of hidden depths. But tell me... Do you really mean that? You're certainly brave, it's true, but do you know what you're getting into?" 

"Isn't the not knowing what makes it exciting?" Ramona knew she shouldn't be doing this, running from cops with a man multiple people have warned her about. But something about Julian made it all worth it. 

"Oh, I wouldn't say that's the most exciting thing about it..." Julian quirked an eyebrow. And they were back to the flirting... "Ah, hold still, Ramona." 

Julian plucked a flower from her hair that must have fallen from the canopy of greenery and glowing flowers. It was beautiful. Star shaped petals glowed an eerie ghostly blue in the moonlight. Julian twirled the flower between his fingers, offering it to her. She reached for it, but Julian pulled it back, away from her grasp. 

"Careful, Ramona. There's poison in these petals."

"What sort of flower is it?" Ramona asked.

"Deadly starstrand. A single drop of poison distilled from this flower could kill a babe in its crib. It's killed tyrants and kings, innocent and guilty. It could topple entire empires with a careless hand. Do you still want it?" Ramona took the flower from his hand, giving it a careful sniff. Its scent seemed to reflect its toxicity, like blood and sickness. 

"You said the poison has to be distilled. Doesn't that make it harmless to touch?" Ramona asked.

"Well, I wouldn't eat it, but you're right. It's harmless like this." He takes the flower and tucks it behind her ear. His hand lingers, feeling the soft skin of her cheek before dropping to her shoulder. 

"It sounds like you're not afraid of danger." Ramona commented.

"Afraid of danger? Why, Ramona, I live for it! Positively enchanted by it!" Julian declared. 

"That would explain why I end up running from cops everytime we spend time together." Ramona teased. 

"And yet, you come back for more." Julian regarded her through a hooded eye, internally trying to figure her out. 

Their moment was interrupted by footsteps running closer. Julian cursed and grabbed Ramona's hand. He led them away from the footsteps, away from the garden, to someplace safe.


End file.
